Government has been advised to recognise the appointment and installation of Henry Kanyanta Sosala as Paramount Chief Chitimukulu of the Bemba people.

Supporting the motion tabled by the committee on delegated legislation Namwala MP Moono Lubhezi told Parliament that Henry Kanyanta Sosala was dully installed as Paramount Chief Chitimukulu and that government should correct the Statutory Instrument degazetting him so that he could be recognised.

Ms Lubhezi said the House of Chiefs did not receive any complaint about the installation of the new Chitimukulu and that government should recognise him.

Monze Member of Parliament Jack Mwiimbu observed that there was an omission by government when the recognition was signed by the vice president who had no powers to do so. Mr Mwiimbu said the due process to appoint and install Mr Sosala as Paramount Chief Chitimukulu was fully followed by the Bashilubemba and government had agreed to it. He observed that if it was the former MMD government that erred in this whole process, the PF government should have corrected the mistake.

“Why should someone who was a senior chief for five years be dethroned and government continue to refuse accepting his recognition? You are punishing an individual twice with an offence he did not commit.

“All orders were followed and we implore government to redress the matter. He has not offended anyone and it is not good to drag the personal issues into this matter. If anyone has issues with Chitimukulu’s appointment, they should have issues with the people that installed him,” he said. And Kalomo MP Request Mutanga said there were no clear reasons as to why Mr Sosala was degazzeted after being recognised by the vice president.

Mr Mutanga said government should have established that the chief in question may not even understood that the vice president was not the right person to gazette him. He submitted that the Bemba traditional ruler who was already installed should be recognised.